David Hytner’s match report
- Ramsey and Lacazette score two each
- Ozil shines for Gunners
Updated
Thu 5 Apr 2018 16.57 EDT
First published on Thu 5 Apr 2018 14.05 EDT
Live feed
Key events
Full-time: Arsenal 4-1 CSKA
A first-half blitz gives Arsenal a commanding first-leg lead. Some of Arsenal’s attacking, against opponents who may regret playing so openly, was delightful. Ozil’s passing was sublime and one of Ramsey’s goal was a gem. Arsenal should really have been more clinical and scored at least a couple more goals, but they can be confident of doing that in Moscow.
Here are the results from the other quarer-final first legs:
Lazio 4-2 Salzburg
Atletico 2-0 Sporting
Leipzig 1-0 Marseille
90+2 min: Ozil tries to create one last goal. But his low cross from the left is intercepted by Akinfeev.
89 min: There will be at least four more minutes.
87 min: There’s a couple of hundred bare-chested CSKA fans jumping up and down and singing. There are easier ways to keep warm Such as putting a shirt on. But there’s no fun in that, apparently.
85 min: Iwobi pokes a clever pass through to Ramsey, who has a clear sight of goal from eight yards, at the left-hand side of the box. Is this his hat-trick? Nope, he skews his shot wide of the far post.
84 min: Ramsey curls over a cross from the right. Welbeck dips in front of his marker and tries to turn the ball towards goal from close range. Akinfeev spreads himself to make a good block.
CSKA substitution: Khosonov on, Musa off
80 min: There’s little to suggest that CSKA are capable of winning 3-0 in Moscow, but Arsenal should be dissatisfied if they don’t score at least a fifth goal today.
77 min: Ozil wrongfoots half the CSKA defence with a foxy dummy 10 yards inside opposition territory. Arsenal then begin probing around the box. Ozil joins in again, tipping a nice pass through to Iwobi at the edge of the area. Iwobi smartly picks out Ramsey in the middle. The Welshman’s sidefooter from 16 yards bounces out off the post!
Arsenal substitutions: Welbeck and Elneny on, Lacazette and Wilshere off
72 min: Wilshere sends Iwobi galloping down the left. The Nigeria international tries to play in Lacazette. The striker dummies it near the penalty spot, allowing it to roll over to Ozil, who tries to guide a curler into the far corner. Denied by Akinfeev!
71 min: Arsenal pen CSKa into their own box. Then Ozil clips a diagonal pass towards the far post. Monreal’s climbs above a defender but his header lacks enough power to trouble Akinfeev.
69 min: Arsenal are besieging the visitors’ goal. They’ve decided that more attacking is the best form of fence. Alex Berezutski clears a low Ozil cross at the near post.
67 min: Ozil bisects the CSKA defence with another superb pass. Iwobi runs on to it in what must be called the Thierry Henry position. Will he curl it round the keeper and in at the far post? No, he tries to square it for Lacazette. But it’s slightly overhit and the striker ends up having to fire it back across goal from a tight angle.
65 min: Musa wriggles down the left and slips a ball into the penalty area. It runs to Wernbloom, who tries to bundle it past Cech. The keeper saves but the rebound is headed into the net ... by an offside player (Dzagoev). No goal. Arsenal need to be careful here: there’s a big difference between going to Moscow with a 4-2 lead rather than 4-1. OK, by big difference I mean one goal. But a degree of psychological comfort, too.
63 min: Alex Berezeutski makes a crucial interception to foil a counter-attack, cutting out Wilshere overly-delayed pass towards Lacazette.
62 min: Good move by CSKA but Schennikov ruins the money shot after being primed by Wernbloom.
Arsenal substitution: Mkhitaryan seems to have damaged his knee in that tackle by Schennikov. He can’t continue and is replaced by Iwobi.
60 min: Strong sliding tackle by Mustafi on Musa, fair and true.
58 min: Schennikov booked for clattering into Mkhitaryan near half-way.
56 min: Mkhitaryan unleashes a shot from 25 yards, Akinfeev only parries it and Wilshere runs in to try to stab hime the rebound. But a defender get a foot to it first, succeeding only in nudging it towards the penalty spot. Ramsey charges in and, under pressure, wellies a shot just over the bar!
55 min: CSKA seem a bit deflated.
52 min: Super move by Arsenal! Monreal began it and, after swapping quick passes with Wilshere and Mkhitaryan, he cut a pass back from the byline to Ramsey, who hat-trick attempt from 12 yards was deflected out for a corner
50 min: Mustafi meets the corner at the near post but only heads it up in the air. Cech rushes off his line to punch it farther away.
49 min: CSKA remain enterprising but they haven’t shown the quality around the box that Arsenal have. But they’ve won a corner just now ...
47 min: 71 seconds in to the second half, Ozil begins wielding his wand again. He conjures a wonderful pass from near the right-hand corner of the box to Xhaka on the far side. Xhaka takes it down but can’t get off a clean shot, blemming over.
46 min: Off we go again. Neither side made any subs during the break.
Here are the half-time scores from the other Europa League quarter-finals:
Lazio 1-1 Salzburg
Atletico 2-0 Sporting
Leipzig 1-0 Marseille
@Paul_Doyle, I swear, the only thing that works with Arsenal is giving up all hope. Then they win. Taunt, taunt, taunt!
— Michelle Peters - Jones (@michpetersjones) April 5, 2018
Half-time: Arsenal 4-1 CSKA
What an entertaining half that was! Arsenal have been vulnerable defensively but excellent going forward and they can be confident of putting this tie to bed today. Ozil is orchestrating things beautifully and Ramsey’s movement is a total mystery to the Russian defence - and his second goal was a marvel. More please!
44 min: Bellerin skitters down the right, prompted by a lovely pass from Mkhitaryan. The cross is cleared but Arsenal quickly regain possession. Xhaka flights a canny pass over the top towards Ozil, steaming in at the back post. He tries to flip a first-time shot past the keeper from an acute angle, but sends it a couple of yards over the bar. It’s the first time his precision has dropped below exquisite today.